Car-door-operating gear.



0. A. LINDSTRUM.

OAR DOOR OPERATING GEAR. 'unmnrou rILIin JAN. 5, 1910 Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

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0. A. LINDSTRUM.

OAR DOOB OPERATING GEAR APPLICATION FILED JAILfi, 1910.

1,012,260. Patented Dec. 19,1911.

1 'l 6 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Wanna:

0. A. Lmnsmiim. OAR Dorm OPERATING GEAR. ABPLIOATiQB' mmn JAN. 5, 19in.

Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3v Wilma fig; 62/563) 0. A. LINDSTRUM.

CAR DOOB. OPERATING GEAR. nrmouxon frnsn mus 1910 Patented Dec. 19, 1911 6 SHEETS-SHEET 4 Witnesses 0. A. LINDSTRUM. CAR DOOR OPERATING GEAR. AEPLISATION FILED JAN. 5, 1910,

Patented Dec. 19, 1911 6 sunmsssnn'r 5 U u a Q QQN m \N. mmw mzz QMN A iir&/ m JR Y 3% HR in was a 0. A. LINDSTRD'M. GAR DOOR OPERATING GEAR. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5, 1910.

Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 8 an "to:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEEL CAR COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH,

JERSEY.

Spcciflcatipn 01' Letters Patent.

PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEW OABDOOBI'OPERATING GEAR.

Patented. Dec. 19, 1911.

Application filed January 5, 1910. Serial No. 536,479.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. LIND- s'rRtiM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, Northside, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful lm-i provements in Car-Door-Operating Gear, of which the following is a Specification.

An obj ect of the present invention is to provide an improved construction of dump door operating mechanism for that type of railway car generally knowna's an ore car in which the lading is discharged through the central portion of the car bottom.

A specific object of the present invention is to provide a dump door mechanism which is speedy, efiicient, simple, strong and inexpensive as well as easy and safe to operate.

Since ore has a greater tendency to arch or bridge above the discharge opening in the bottom of the car than most other classes of lading, it is essential and practice has dictated that the opening in the bottom of the car he made as large as possible, and that the usual center sills and longitudinal and cross cones be dispensed with in order to gain such large unobstructed openin j Furthermore, the lengths and distances lietween the pockets in the ore docks, where these cars are unloaded, having been fixed for years to correspond with t e location of the batches in the ore ships, has had the effect of limiting the modern ore car of greater capacity to the same length as the older ore cars of-lighter capacit The result of this increase in the size 0 the discharge opening and maintenance of the old length of car has been to increase the slope of the bottom sheets to such an extent as to throw a very great proportion ofthe entire weight of the lading on the drop doors at the discharge opening .of the car, and since ore is by far heavier than any of the other classes essenti'a that .a door operating mechanism be rovided having great strength; which wil lock automation. ly and securely and have no tendency to operate from the jars of transit; which will, when started, operate independently-of the operating lever, which will be free from the usual chains supporting the doors "thus insuring safety to the oper'ator; an which is so simple that it will be inexpensive and not get out of order of dum able material or lading it is highly when subjected to great strains, and ma be successfully and economically operate by unskilled labor, either by hand alone or by either hand or air power when such combination is required.

A mechanism having all of the above features and advantages is herein described and shown in the accom anying drawings in which like reference 0 aracters'refer to like parts, and in which 1 Figure 1 is adgeneral side elevation of an ore car provide with the improved mechanism; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, portions of the sloping floor sheets being roken away to more clearly show the mechanism; Fig. 3 is a'sectional end elevation of the car giving an end view of the mechanism; Fig. 4 is a half ldngitudinal sectional elevation of the car through one of the door operating cranks; Fig. 5 IS an enlarged detail section through one of the door operating cranks, one of the safety clutches and showin a portion of one of the crank operating s afts; Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views of one of the sa ety clutches; Fi 8, 9,10 and 11 are diagrammatic views lustiat-ing two means of operation of the door operating shafts by fluid pressure, and Fig. 12 is a detail view of a valve forming a part of the mechanisms shown in Figs. 8 to 11, inclusive.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, 1 represents the car body which is V-shape in longitudinal section by reason of its pro vision with floor sheets sloping downwardly tothe discharge 0 ening of the car. The two lower edges 0 the sloping floor sheets and the two sides of the car, which sides are bent inwardly at their lower portions, define the central discharge opening in the car bottom. Thetwo lower edges of the slo in floor sheets are angular in shape wit 1 t eir a )ices at the transverse center of the car an projecting toward the longitudinal center of the car, so that the discharge opening is narrowest at the transverse center of the car. This particular shape of discharge opening is the natural result of the necessity of gaining the largest possible door opening, and the use of doors to -close such openin of such shape that they will not, in their 0 eration, be interfered with by the car w eels, the location of which is standard.

The car comprises body 1, side sills 2. draft sills 3 and bolsters 4. The central dischar e opening is closed by doors 5, which doors 5are hinged at (3 to the car side sheeting, the free edges of the doors meeting in a line extending longitudinally at the transversecenter of the car. The underframe of the car may be of any suitable construction provided no portion of it projects into or through the central discharge opening of the car.

As shown in the drawings, draft sills are provided, which sills extend only from the ends of the car to the sloping floor sheet and do not extend into or throu h the central discharge opening.- ,The un erframe further comprises as side sills, channels 2 with their flanges projecting donwardly, as in this position they form a. convenient supiort for portions of the door mechanism hereinafter described. These side sills 2 however mp. be of any suitable shape.

For thepurpose of closing the doors 5, the following mechanism is employed; Each of the drop doors is provided with a U- shaped beam 7 extending along and under its free edge and projecting slightly on each side of the door. Beams 7 are connected through the medium of universally jointed SQ'turnbuckIe links 8 at each end to a yoke 9 ivoted in a crank frame 10, similartocrank frame shown in my application, Serial No. 243,703, the crank frame 10 being located between the draft sills 3. That 18 to say, there is a pair of turnbuckle links 8 at each side of the dro doors, each of said links 8 being connecte at one end to the end of its respective beam 7, at its other end beingl brought together with the corresponding en 40 of the adjacent link and pivotally mounted in the yoke 9. There are,therefore,a pair of crank frames 10, a pair of yokes 9 and four links 8. Crank frames 10 face oppositely, or are oppositely disposed.

E ch of the crank frames 10 consists of a pair of crank arms 10, 10", connected through the medium of a web 10 of the crank frame 10 which is angular in shape for the purpose of strength and to provide for clearance of the sloping floor sheet.

6O automaticall Each of the crank frames 10 is journaled, as later described, in the draft sills 3 in such a position that when the drop doors 5 are closed the turnbuckle links 8 and the yoke 9 'are at the dead center of the crank frame 10,

or slightly beyond the same toward the S10 ing floor sheet, so that the load strain on t e doors'5 tendsto force crank frame 10 in the closing direction and thus the doors 5 are locked against opening from jars or shoe s during transit. It will be noted from Fig. 2 that crank frames 10 are oppositely disposed sothat through the medium of the yokes 9 and the links 8 they op pose each other, which arrangement is a further safeguard against automatic opening of the doors during transit.

Crank frames 10 are journaled by trunnions 10 and 13", each of the trunnions 13 being also one of the members of the safety clutch 13 hereinafter referred to. Trunnions 10 and 13 are each provided with polygonal inner ends which engage polygonal perforations in the crank arms 10', 10*. Trunnion 1O is provided with an enlarged cylindrical outer bearing portion journaleil in a trunnion casting 10, which is secured to the outer face of one of the draft sills 3, and which is provided with a bearing per foration for the trunnion 10. Casting 10 is also provided with an annular boss projecting through the draft sill 3 and forining an annular bearing against the crank arm 10". The bearing portion of the trunnion 10 being larger than the polygonal inner portion, it is impossible to force the trunnion 10 entirely through the crank arm 10", so that the trunnion 10 must be removed, in disassembling the parts, from the crank arm 10 toward the outside of the car. In order to prevent trunnion 10 from displacement toward the side of the car, during operation, the polygonal portion of the same is extended slightly beyond the inner face of crank arm 10 and a cotter 10 is passed therethrough so that the trunnion 10 is completely locked to the arm 10", but may be' readily separated therefrom when desired.

The trunnion 13 has a polygonal inner portion similar to the polygonal inner portion of the trunnion 10, but larger in dimension, since trunnion 13* is depended upon to operate the crank frame 10. Trunnion 13" is also rovided with an enlarged cylindrical bearing portion journaled in journal casting 13. secured to the outside of the other dra t sill 3, and provided with a bearing perforation and an annular boss, similar to the boss on the casting 10, projecting through the sill and bearing against the crank arm 10. Trunnion 13 is likewise prevented from being forced throu h the crank arm 10 by a shoulder formed y the differences in dimension between the polygonal and journal portions of the trunnion 13", and it is further prevented from such excess inward movement or shifting by the clutch portion of trunnion 18", later described, bearing against journalcasting 13. Trunnion 13 is provided with a centrally located cylindrical recess or bearing to receive the cylindrical reduced end 11 of the crank operating shaft 11 'and thus form a hearing or support for the shaft.

Near its inner end, shaft 11 'is provided with a polygonal potrion larger than the reduced end 11 and adapted to'receiv'e a clutch. member 13" of the clutch 13. This poly onal portion of the shaft is slightly smal er in dimensions than the balance of the shaft 11, so that a shoulder is formed against which the outer end of the clutch member 13 abuts. This polygonal portion also provides, by reason of the differences between its dimension and the dimension of the confined portion 11, a shoulder against which the clutch member 13" abuts. Shaft 11 may be polygonal throughout its entire length, if desired. Such being the shape of these pa rts, the clutch member 13 is held in position and against endwise movement in one direction by abutting crank arm 10 and in the oppo-' site direction by abutting shaft 11. The clutch member 13 is held in position and against endwise movement in one direction by the clutch member 13" and in the opposite direction by abuttin at its outer end, the shoulder on the sha t ll. Thus, if the shaft 1]. and the cotter 10 are removed, all of the parts may be disassembled for the purpose of repair or substitution in the shortest time and without removal of bolts or cutting out of rivets. It being of course understood that if it should be desired to locate the crank frame 10 above the draft sills 3. instead of between them. then the trunnions 10 and 125 may be made integral with the crank frame 10 and journaled in ordinary bearings.

Safety clutches 125 are introduced for the purpose of permitting the dropping of the hiding quickly without danger to the operator. Each of the clutch members in clutch it; is provided with projecting lugs, such lugs being in the same rotary plane so that the lug in one clutch nn-mber when rotating will strike the lug on the other clutch me1nher and transmit motion to the other clutch member and. conversely, either clutch member is capable of a limited n0n-trans titling movement relative to the other. 'lhese clutchrs a re of the same general character as described in my United States Letters Patcnt Nos. $135,714; 865,920 and $115,921. It will be noted that crank frame 10, in dropping the doors 5, will make about one-half revolution. and this being the case, because of the interposition of the clutches 13, such movement will not be transmitted to the crank sha 1L and hence will be independent of shaft 11 and the balance of the oper ating mechanisnn This is because the clutch members on the shaft 11 have been moved to the position shown in Figs. 2 audit, prelimi nary to starting the opening movement of the crank frame 10 to dislodge the links 8 and yoke 9 from their positions at or beyond the dead. center of the crank franie 10, so that as soon as the crank frame 10 gathers momentum the clutch member 13 connected thereto by revolving at a renter rate of speed than the other clutch member 13. carries its lug away from the lug on member 13.

It is necessary or advisable that the two crank frames 10 operate simultaneously to prevent undue strain on either side of a door due to one crank frame operating before the other, also that the two crank 73 frames nove away from the sloping floors when the doors ai e being opened and toward the floors when the doors are being closed, which enables the placing of the crank frames closegto the floors and secures straight 75 nected to one of the shafts 11 through the medium of a pinion 18 meshing with a gear 19. ear 1%) being mounted on shaft 11 and projecting upwardly through a slot in side sill shaft 1-} being located above the horizontal plane of the upper surfaces of the side and draft sills. Shaft- 14 is connected to the other shaft 11 through means of a. worm 30 on the end of 14 opposite pinion 18, a pair of link 'and chain connections 9! and 32 separate and independent of each other and each connected at one end to the worm 20 and at their opposite ends to a drum 23 mounted on the shaft 11, and which likewise projects upwardly through a slot in the side sill 2 to increase the-diameter of drum 23 and thereby multiply the power exerted on the operating shaft 14. The lower link and chain connection 22 passes from the drum 23 to the Worm 20 through a slot in the side sill 2. Castings 15. 16 and 17 project upwardly and are mounted on the upper side of the side and center sills of the car to raise} operating shaft 14 to the proper height 'to-give clearance to the chain winding on the worm 20 and to position the shaft o-ost conveniently for the operator, and each end of the shaft is squared, orthe same may be as shown on the drawing squared throughout 'its length so that a' crank may be applied at either end and the car operated from either side.

Forthe purpose of holding the shaft 14 against movement when the mechanism is not being operated, a ratchet wheel 24 is provided which is mounted on shaft 14 adjacent the casting l6 and adapted to be engaged by a pawl 25 pivotally mounted on the casting 16 and weighted and balanced so that it engages the under side of the ratchet wheel 24. being provided with a lu 25 on its under side which is adapted to )e' engaged by the cranked portion of a cranked rod 26 oper ated at either side of the car by a bent upwardly extending end portion 2t, when it 136 For this purpose the two' 80 Pawl 25 is bifurcated to engage the lug is desired to release the ratchet 24. Rod 26 is journalcd at the side and draft sills and its cranked portion, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, adapted to engage the under side of the ratchet 25 to hold said pawl against the teeth of the ratchet wheel 24. Rod 26 is held in this position by wedging the cranked portion thereof against the un der side of the pawl. 25, but when operated 25 on pawl 25 it will carry the pawl 25 away from the teeth of the ratchet wheel 24, whereupon shaft 14 may be operated.

All of the parts of the mechanism having been described, the operation of same may be briefly described as follows: Assuming the doors to be closed and the car loaded with ore with the parts in the position shown in Figs. 1. 2 and 4, the operator grasps the rod 526 by its handle 26 and through its operation throws the pawl 25 out of engagement with its ratchet wheel 24:, a crank is then applied to the end of the shaft 14 which is then operated in the direction of the arrow, Figs. 1 and 4. This results in turning one of the shafts 11 in the same direction and the other of the shafts 11,--the one which is geared directly to shaft 14,-in an opposite direction to the direction of shaft 14. As shafts ll'rotate the lugs on their clutch members sooner or later strike the lugs on theclutch members turning with the crank frames 10, whereupon frames 10 are turned and the yokes 9 and links 8 are helped over the dead center, whereupon the doors 5, the links 8, yokes 9 and the crank frames 10 immediately run away from shafts 11 for about half of a revolution in a. manner already described. To close the doors these movements are reversed.

In Figs. 8 and 9 is illustrated diagrammatically an air or other fluid pressure means for operating the two door operating shafts simultaneously. Such means consists in an air cylinder 27 connected by piping 28 to the train pipe 29, or other suitable source of air supply. Piping 28 is connected to each end of the cylinder 27 by a pair of branch pipes 28, 28', said branch pipes acting alternately as exhaust and supply pipes and being controlled by any suitable form of valve 30, such as the four-way valve illustrated in Fig. 12, which valveJwQ is provided with an exhaust pipe 28. i v i In Figs. 8 and 9, the cylinder 27 is provided with a piston 31 carried by a piston rod 32 having racks 33, 34 formed at each end. Rack 33 meshes directly with a gear which is mounted at the outer end of one of the shafts 11. Rack 34 meshes with a small pinion 36 on shaft 37 which, at its opposite end, is geared td a gear 38 on the shaft 11 adjacent said shaft 37.

With the mechanism shown in Figs. 8 and 9, two car doors may be operated either by power or by hand. If operated by hand a wrench is applied to the squared ends of the shaft 37 in the same manner as described in connection with shaft 14 in Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive. If operated by power the wrench is applied to the valve 30 which is turned to the position shown in Fi 12 to direct the pressure to the right-ham? end of the cylinder 27, which will have the effect of forcing piston 31 to the end of the cylinder 27 which will give sufiicient movement to the shafts 11 through their respective gears 35, 38 to move the crank frames 10 from their positions at or near the dead center, so that the lading in the car may force the doors open to dump the car. The car having been dumped, the valve 30 is next turned so that the pressure is directed to the lefthand end of the cylinder 27, whereupon the piston 31 is forced to the right-hand end of the cylinder 27, so that the gears 35, 38 are rotated something less than a complete revolution in an opposite direction, turning shafts 11 to an equal extent and through the medium of the clutch members 13 turning the clutch members 13 approximately one-half of a revolution, and thus returning the crank frames 10 to their positions at or beyond the dead center, in which positions the car doors are closed.

In the structure shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the reverse movements of the shaft 11 are procured by use of the shafts 37 instead of extending the shaft 11 and applying the rack 34 directly thereto.

In Fig. 10 is shown still another modification of the means of driving shafts 11 wherein the cylinder 27, piping 28 and piston 31 are applied to the chain and link connection Ell, shown in Fig. 1. The operation, however, will be readily understood from the description of the operation of the forms already herein described.

Fig. 11 is designed merely to illustrate the location of the fluid pressure mechanism within the car side, a rear elevation of this mechanism being therein shown.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to segure by Letters Patent:

1. In a dump car, the combination with a drop door, a crank connected thereto for operating said door, trunnions rei'novably mounted in said crank, a clutch member integral with one of said trunnions and means for operating said clutch member.

.2. In a dump car. the combination with a drop door, a crank frame connected thereto for operating said door, a trunnion having a squared portion removably seated and secured in one side of said frame. a second trunnion having a squared portion removably seated in the other side of said frame and comprising an integral clutch member. and a shaft and clutch for operating said p to said fluid second trunnion and holding the same in its seat in the crank frame.

3. In a dump car having a sloping floor sheet and draft sills, a drop door, in combination with a crank frame connected to said door and comprising crank arms connected by, a web angular in vertical section' and located between said draft sills immediately beneath said floor sheet and means for o crating said frame.

4. lb a dump car, the combination with a drop door, a pair of oppositely facing cranks, links connecting said cranks and said door and shafts for operating said cranks, of a fluid pressure device operatively con nected directly to one of said shafts and a third shaft operatively connected directly pressure device and the other of said crank operating shaft.

5. In a dump car, the combination with a drop door, a pair of oppositely facin cranks, links connectin said cranks an said door and shafts or operating said cranks, of a fluid pressure device operatively connected directly to one of said shafts and a third shaft operatively connected directly to said fluid pressure device and the other of said crank operating shafts, said third shaft being shaped at its ends to receive an operating tool.

In a dump car, a pair of beams spaced apart, a discharge door, a crank for operating said door located between said beams, crank bearings mounted on the beams, crank trunnions passed through said beams from the outside of said beams and seated fixedly in said crank, and means re'venting displacement of said trunnions rom said crank.

7. In adum car havin a discharge door and a air 0 beams in its underframe, a crank or operating the door located between said beams, trunnion bearings mounted on said beams, a trunnion passed through one of said beams and seated fixedly in said crank and a cotter securing said trunnion against longitudinal displacement from said crank, a second trunnion passed through the opposite beam from the outside and seated fixedly in said crank and forming one of a pair of clutch members, and asecond clutch member coiiperating with said trunnion clutch member and adapted to prevent longitudinal displacement of said trunnion clutch member from the crank.

8. In a door operating mechanism for dump cars, an operating shaft, a ratchet wheel on said shaft, a bifurcated pawl adapted to engage said ratchet wheel and a cranked rod adapted to engage the bifurcated portion of said pawl to operate same.

9. In a door operating mechanism for dump cars, an operating shaft, a ratchet wheel on said shaft, a bifurcated pawl adapted to engage said ratchet and a combined ratchet locking and operatin rod adapted to engage the bifurcated portion of said pawl to operate same.

10.'In a dump car, the combination with a 'pair of drop doors, of an operating shaft, a pair of cranks each connected to each door, shafts for operating said cranks, and means for connecting the operating shaft with each crank shaft independently, to' produce an opening of the cranks in opposite directions, and multi ly the power applied to the operating sha t. I

11. In a dump car, the combination with a pair of drop doors, of an operating shaft, a pair of cranks having opening movement in opposite directions and each connected to each door, shafts for operating said cranks, lost motion devices interposed in each of said shafts, and, independent means conneeting the operating shaft with each of the crank shafts to produce a rotation of the cranks in opposite directions, and multiply the power applied to the operating shaft.

In a dump car, the combination with a pair of drop doors, of an operating shaft, a pair of cranks each connected to each door, shafts for operating said cranks, gearwheelsconnecting the operating shaft with one of the crank shafts, and a worm, chain and chain-wheel connection between the operating shaft and the other crank shaft, to produce a rotation of the cranks in opposite directions, and to .-multiply the power applied to the operating shaft.

13. In a dump car, the combination with a pair of drop doors, a pair of oppositively facing cranks, links connecting said cranks and doors, and shafts for operating said cranks, of a fluid pressure device operativcly connected directly to one of said shafts, and a'third shaft operatively connected directly to said fluid pressure device and to the other of said crank operating shafts, so as to produce an opening movement of the cranks in opposite directions, and multiply the power applied to the operating shaft.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses. v

CHARLES A. LINDSTROM. Witnesses:

G. M. Aonnw, HARRY A. KNIGHT. 

